Exploring the nature of geoscience using cartoon cards
Anne Egger, Central Washington University
In this activity, students work in groups to put a set of cartoon cards in order, much in the way that we might assemble a geologic history. The primary goal of the activity is to explore the nature of science in general and the nature of geoscience or historical science specifically, without requiring any content knowledge.

Analyzing your Hometown Stream using On-line USGS NWIS Data
This educational resource page details a MATLAB-based undergraduate activity where students analyze long-term discharge data from their local streams using USGS NWIS databases to explore hydrological patterns, flood frequency, and human or climatic influences, emphasizing open-ended, student-driven geoscience inquiry and quantitative skill development within the Methods of Geoscience teaching framework. auto-generated The author of this page didn't provide a brief description so this one sentence summary was created by an AI tool. It may not be completely accurate.

Investigating Stream Energy and Gradient Using Small Stream Tables
Beth Dushman, Howard Community College
In this Physical Geology lab activity, students investigate the relationship between stream energy and gradient by changing the gradient of a small stream table and observing changes in stream erosion.

Sea Floor Magnetism
Kyle Gray, University of Northern Iowa
Students use compasses and bar magnets to simulate the collection of sea floor magnetic polarity data. Even though the students do not directly observe the magnets, they use the information to infer tectonic processes present at the mid-ocean ridges and calculate the spreading rates for two different ridges.

Think-Aloud Modeling of Geologic Reasoning in the Field
Steve Reynolds, Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus
This activity involves explicitly sharing with students all the thoughts that occur to the instructor, as they occur, at a geologic field site. Assessment can be conducted with concept sketches.

Reasons for the Seasons
Jeffrey D. Thomas, Central Connecticut State University
The inquiry method and meteorological and astronomical online data can be used to elicit the inconsistencies of students' naïve ideas about the "real" reasons for the seasons. The first phase of this two-part investigation uses online meteorological data to identify factors that might explain differences of seasonal temperatures among cities These factors are used to hypothesize why differences of seasonal temperatures occur among cities. During the second phase, the variables and hypotheses that were previously identified in part one are used to design and conduct an inquiry-oriented investigation. Astronomical data is used as part of the investigation to "test" students' hypotheses— conclusions are drawn then communicated.

Accuracy, Precision, and Topographic Data
Scott Linneman, Western Washington University
This jigsaw style exercise challenges new geomorphology students to collect topographic data and analyze its accuracy and precision.

Discovering the Principles of Relative Age Determination – a Think-Pair-Share In-Class Activity
James Ebert, SUNY College at Oneonta
In this in-class activity, students are challenged to identify rock units and geologic features and determine the relative ages of these features without prior instruction in the classical methods of relative age determination.

Exploring Evidence of Plate Tectonics Using GeoMapApp
Sean Cornell, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
This activity requires students to explore a range of datasets that help substantiate Plate Tectonic Theory. Students investigate plate tectonic environments (convergent, divergent, transform boundaries), topography/bathymetry of continents and ocean basins, the distribution and pattern of earthquakes, the distribution of volcanoes, as well as ages of the sea-floor, and more.

Introduction to the methods of geoscience
Anne Egger, Central Washington University
In this activity, students are introduced to the methods of inquiry in the Earth sciences and how they differ from what is classically taught in school science.